Strategy

Cincinnati -- The Kroger Co. announced that it will be the first in Oregon to deploy a fleet of heavy-duty trucks that run on Liquid Natural Gas (LNG). The 40 trucks will replace 40 diesel trucks currently in use, and are expected to start making store deliveries in the Portland metropolitan area by the end of 2014.

The use of natural gas fuel not only reduces operating costs for vehicles, but also reduces greenhouse gas emissions up to 23% in medium- to heavy-duty vehicles.

Cooking Light, Time Inc.’s leading epicurean brand, has expanded its prepared-foods line and co-branded SodaStream flavors to Target and Walmart.

New York -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., the Chinese Web behemoth, filed paperwork on Tuesday for what some experts claim could be one of the biggest initial public offerings in U.S. history. The company filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise $1 billion, but many analysts say the company could bring in more than the $16 billion Facebook raised in 2012.

Armonk, N.Y. -- IBM has introduced comprehensive new security software and services to help organizations protect their critical data in an environment where advanced persistent threats, zero day attacks, breaches, and the financial impact on an organization continue to rise.

According to two IBM-commission studies, the average cost of a data breach increased by 15%, reaching an average of $3.5 million. The majority of companies surveyed say targeted attacks are the greatest threat, costing them on average $9.4 million in brand equity alone.

Mount Laurel, N.J. -- Agilence, a provider of cloud-based exception reporting solutions, announced that the Great Atlantic & Pacific Company has selected Agilence’s Retail 20/20 to enhance its chain-wide effort to reduce shrink and fraud.

New York — RKF has announced that it will lease the entire seventh floor of 521 Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan.

With the expansion RKF will occupy 20,987 sq. ft., roughly 30% more space than the current lease. The expansion will enable the firm to increase its ranks by 25%.

Ticketfly, a San Francisco-based ticket distribution service founded in 2008, has hired former Amazon chief operating officer Steve Oliver to help develop the startup’s long-term strategy as it prepares to expand internationally, according to a Reuters report.

Oliver spent nine years at Amazon, leading its Canadian operations, the article stated.

Chevy Chase, Md. — Formerly known as 2b Bebe, Bebe has rebranded at six Mills properties across the country.

Shoppers will find the new Bebe concept at Arizona Mills (Phoenix), Franklin Mills (Philadelphia), Great Mall (San Francisco), Ontario Mills (Los Angeles), Potomac Mills (Washington, D.C.) and Sawgrass Mills (Ft. Lauderdale/Miami).

The Mills, a hybrid outlet concept, is one of Simon Property Group’s five real estate platforms.